Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Wednesday gives my heart a little leap of hope as I wake up to a text from Anthony.
I’m just checking in to see that you are feeling better.
If you are referring to my drunken madness from Monday night, then yes, I’ve finally recovered. Thank you for taking care of me. It warms my heart to know that you cared enough to come to my rescue. I only wish I’d been sober enough to have noticed. I miss you, and I love you. I’m sorry.
There has never been a question in my mind about my love and concern for you. It was that same love and concern that got me in trouble.
I was such a stupid girl.
Don’t beat yourself up; we all have our moments. Have a good day, Emma.
You too, Anthony.
The rest of the day has me smiling like a loon and dancing on air. It was just a cordial text, but it was more than I’d heard from him since our fight.
The next few days pass in a blur. I haven’t seen or heard from Anthony, and that makes my heart twist. I received an email from Tate and Layla. They were genuinely nice and gave me lots of information about their lives. We are planning a trip to get together soon. I keep forgetting to ask him if he was the one standing in front of my house. I’ll have to assume he was visiting since the stranger has not been back since I contacted them.
It’s Saturday morning, and I have no idea if I’ll have a date for the dance tonight. I haven’t heard a word from Anthony since Wednesday. I’ve tried to jump in with both feet. I’ve done what I can without being completely in his face. There is a fine line between letting him know I’m all in and kidnapping him to lock him in his house until he says he loves me. Maybe I should’ve gone with the kidnapping plan after all.
I let Roxy sleep in until two o’clock before I decide to wake her butt up. She has a prom to go to, and she doesn’t know Bobby Anderson will be there. I’m so excited he will come. He called my office yesterday and confirmed. He also asked me what color dress Roxy was wearing because he wanted to buy her a wrist corsage. I recommended white since that would go with everything.
“What are you wearing tonight?” I sit on the edge of her bed and bounce, forcing her to wake up.
“Do I have to go?” she groans. “I thought it would be fun, but now I’m not sure. I don’t even have a date.”
“I don’t have a date either. Roxy, will you go to prom with me?” I ask sweetly.
“I have nothing to wear.” She rolls over onto her stomach. I swat her ass hard, and she shrieks. “I thought about just wearing one of my regular dresses.”
“You can’t wear a sundress to prom. Get up. Between the two of us, we can come up with something. I’m bigger than you, but I like dresses cut on the bias, which means they hang well on most figures. You only need to get close in size. The cut of the dress does the rest.” I pull the covers back and look at her figure. She’s wearing yoga pants and a tank top, so it’s easy to see the shape of her body. “What color do you want to wear? I’ve got them all.”
“I’m partial to blue and silver,” she says as she stretches and yawns.
My lips turn into a wicked grin. I have the perfect dress for her.
“Emma, this dress is obscene. Are you sure the tape will hold my boobs in?” She looks at herself in my sinful blue dress. It’s the dress Anthony said was criminal and unfair to the male population of the world. Standing next to her, I feel like the duckling next to the swan. She looks beautiful.
“This dress looks amazing on you.” I add a little silver sparkle to her eyeshadow and call her done for the night. Focusing on Roxy has given me something to do. I’ve been able to spend my entire afternoon without once thinking about Anthony and whether he’d come tonight. I’m resigned to the fact that he probably won’t show up. I hurt him, and after what he went through with Roseanne, he’s probably once bitten, twice shy. I just hope we can eventually be friends. I want him to be with me, but if the only way I can have him is as a friend, then I will have to settle for that.
“Do you want me to drive?” Roxy asks as she peeks her head into my room.
“No, I ordered a car. We can’t drive ourselves to prom. What kind of date would I be if I didn’t take care of my girl?” I pull my hot-pink dress off the hanger, slipping it up and over my hips. It’s a ridiculous dress. It’s short and slinky, showing off lots of leg, and covers very little. It was hot in its day. I’m representing Generation Y. “Can you zip me up?” I turn my back to her, and she glides the zipper closed. I’m surprised it still fits. I slip on my strappy silver sandals and turn to look at myself in the mirror.
I’m not at the top of my game right now, but I’ll do in a pinch. I leave my hair in loose curls that fall down my back and touch up my makeup. I spray on an ample amount of perfume and declare that I’m ready.
The limousine drops us off at the front. The doorman greets us, checks our ID cards, and stands aside for us to enter. We take the elevator to the third floor. The club is beautiful; it’s exactly the way I imagined it would be.
They greet us at the entrance with sashes and tiaras. I want every woman who enters to be the prom queen and every man to be the king. All guests will receive a sash and a crown. It’s my prom, and I want everyone to feel special.
The music is already booming. We arrived early so I can make sure everything is in order. I look around and soak in the atmosphere. It took a bit of work, but I represented every class from our guest list. Hanging from the ceiling are signs saying, “Class of…” and various years are highlighted from 1970 to the present. There is a photographer set up to take portraits in the right corner because you can’t have the prom without pictures.
A fabulous champagne fountain sits in the far-left corner, and a table full of my favorite Anthony Haywood appetizers is next to it. It’s an open bar tonight, and I have hired taxis to accommodate those who drink too much. After the drunk driving accident of late, I’m taking no chances.
Roxy follows me around. She looks darling in her tiara and sash. “Welcome to Ahz.” I hold my hands out, showcasing it before guiding her to the champagne fountain to get us both a drink. “Here’s to new beginnings.” I raise my glass in a toast .
“This is fabulous, Emma.” Her eyes look around the entire room and settle on the bar.
“It’s a great bar. Do you want to check it out?” I know she wants to see how it’s set up and how the bartenders run it, so I guide her over to introduce her to the two men serving tonight. “Roxy, this is Chaz and Terrance. Guys, this is Roxy. She bartends at Trax.” With introductions made and tours complete, we stroll around the club and find ourselves back at the bar. We take up space like wallflowers, leaning against the granite top. Our eyes lock on the door. I’m watching for several people, but I have no idea who Roxy is waiting for.
“Are Trevor and Chris coming?” She sips her champagne and returns her gaze to the door.
“Yes, Kat and Damon will be here as well. You won’t be stuck with just me tonight.” I pat her arm as if trying to comfort her. I secretly smile to myself because I know who is coming for her, and I’m excited to see her face.
I look around and watch as people pour into the club. This is by invitation only. Who wouldn’t want to come? I spend my time checking out all the dresses and tuxedos. It’s so funny what some people will wear. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Chris and Trevor enter. They are in matching tuxedos. I was convinced one of them would wear a dress. Chris is in white tails, while Trevor is in black. They look adorable. They see me and Roxy standing by the bar and travel a straight line toward us.
“Holy smokes, Roxy, are those going to spill out if you bend over?” Trevor asks as he looks at her cleavage.
“Emma guarantees me the girls are secure. I’ll trust her until proven otherwise.”
They order a drink and chat. I look around and see the doorman trying to get my attention.
“I’ll be right back.” I leave them to their chitchat and walk to the door to see why I’m needed. I’m hoping Bobby has arrived .
The doorman brings me to the hallway, where a very tall man stands. I go over to him and ask, “Are you, Bobby?” A big grin spreads across his face.
“How did you know?” I look down at the white wrist corsage in his hand and smile. “Ah yes, the giveaway. Is Roxanne here?”
“Yes, she is in the club, standing by the bar with my brother and his boyfriend.” His eyes lift in surprise. “We are an open love family, Bobby. I hope you don’t have an issue with that.”
“No, not at all. I just wouldn’t have expected a Somerville to be open to mixing.”
“Didn’t you hear? Roxy is the black sheep of the Somervilles. Let’s go get your date.” We walk through the door where Bobby is given a crown and a prom king sash, and then I lead him to Roxy.
Her back is turned to us when we arrive. I place Bobby behind her as I step to her side. “Hey, girl, this really hot single guy just came in looking for a date. Since I will probably be busy tonight and won’t be able to spend much time with you, I thought maybe I’d introduce the two of you.”
“No way. You got me here, but I’m not hooking up with some strange dude to ease your guilty conscience. I’ll hang with my boys.” She watches as Chris and Trevor look above her head. “He’s standing behind me, isn’t he?” she asks as she rolls her eyes.
I watch as her skin flushes red from her navel to her forehead. She slowly turns around. Her eyes travel past me as she rotates 180 degrees and stares at his broad chest. I watch as recognition crosses her face.
“Nice to see you, Roxanne. How long has it been––five years––more?” He opens the clear plastic box and removes the corsage. Taking her hand in his, he gently places the flowers over her wrist and kisses her knuckles. I watch as her knees almost buckle.
“You guys have fun,” I say, leaving them at the bar staring into each other’s eyes. How cute are they?
I stroll around the club. It seems like everyone is enjoying themselves. Everyone but me. It would appear that I’m the only person going stag to prom tonight. I find myself at the bar listening to the music and watching people dance. The DJ has kept the music lively. I’m going to have to ask him to throw in a few slow songs for the lovers in the group.
The idea of lovers makes me think of Anthony. I miss making love to him. It’s been weeks since I touched him. If he isn’t here yet, he probably isn’t coming. I look to the door one last time. What I see shocks me. My feet move on their own accord.
“Oh, my God. Are you truly here?” I stare at the handsome man standing in front of me. His eyes are full of happiness, and my heart is ready to explode.
“Emma, is that you?” He grabs me and pulls me into his arms.
“Dad, I think you’re killing her,” the beautiful redheaded woman says. The man embracing me lets go. He holds me at a distance and looks at me long and hard.
“Emma, I’m Tate. I’m your father. This is your sister, Layla. And this is my wife, Amy.” I look from person to person and see the joy on all three faces. Tears begin to stream down my cheeks.